I’m a huge huge fan of Uzbek food. Actually, I’m a huge fan of all food that has a lot of lamb. I’m a big lamb lover. Unfortunately, the Japanese don’t share my fondness for the meat that is often described as ‘gamey’. BTW – it’s only gamey if you don’t know how to prepare it. Cooking lamb well is an art form. And the Uzbeks are brilliant at it.
Burmese Cuisine is one of my favourite cuisines in the world. It’s a delectable fusion of Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian food. The flavours and combinations are absolutely delightful and I highly recommend Burmese food to all hardcore foodies. I’m a little sad that it’s not that popular internationally and a little happy that I’m one of the few people who’s in the know about Asia’s hidden culinary treasure.
A torta is a massive Mexican sandwich with everything good in it. Meat, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, jalepenos etc etc etc. It’s so humungous and so over the top that my atheist Argentine Spanish teacher said that ‘it made her believe in God’. Well – there’s nothing like a born again believer.
San Francisco is the first city that I’ve visited in a long time that actually embodies the Pisces energy. A Pisces on the Aries cusp – but a Pisces nevertheless. I feel like I can just get lost in the moment and let it take me where it wants to – that I can stay in the flow of things without worrying too much about anything.
Who doesn’t love dumplings? I feel it’s one of those things that you can find in just about every cuisine. Meat wrapped in flour that’s either boiled, steamed, pan-fried or deep-fried. Yum yum yum! So my friend Noza taught me to make chuchvara – boiled dumplings served with either soup or tomatoes and onions.
I sink my teeth into the first wrap. The flavours are far stronger than what I’m used to. The duck is electrifyingly crispy and fatty, the sauce is tangy and sweet and the condiments are confusing. Midway through my first Peking Duck burrito, my waiter magically shows up with a plastic glove and a pair of chopsticks. He looks both mildly concerned and thoroughly amused.
Everyone who knows me knows I love food – but Xinjiang cuisine has a super special place in my heart. The food is SPICY, intense and packed with all kinds of indescribable flavours. And so I asked my trusty temporary housemate Fang if there’s a restaurant in Hong Kong that serves Xinjiang Cuisine… and… ding ding ding… she told me about Ba Yi. It’s one of those famous places where you have to book a time slot in advance. And yes – they will kick you out when your time is up. And no – they don’t care if you haven’t finished your meal. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
